All We Have Is Time
by Akayla's Pierced Heart
Summary: Han did not die. Akaya is Sean's cousin from America who comes to live with him. Han falls for her but she's too distracted to notice. Will Han go to far to get her attention? some MS,very NONCANNON, very AU.
1. Chapter 1

-1 **Welcome to the Night Before the Morning After**

Akaya Lancaster crossed her arms and tried to hold in the tears. She fiddled with the silver dragon pendant that rested just below her collar bone. A voice could be heard throughout the length of the economy cabin. "This is your captain speaking. We will be approaching Tokyo in approximately ten minutes. Please keep you seat backs and tray tables up and all lose items stowed safely away. The time in Tokyo is 7:15p.m. and the temperature is 72 degrees." The voice went on but Akaya did her best to drown it out. She didn't want to be here and didn't care what time it was or what the weather was like.

Sean Boswell and his girlfriend Neela held hands as they walked through the airport. Sean had told Neela all about his favorite cousin Akaya, who was more like a sister to him. Her mother had died when Akaya was just a baby from leukemia. Akaya's father had died just weeks ago in a San Francisco earthquake. Akaya escaped with only cuts and bruises. Akaya's mother was the only sister of Sean's dad. Since Sean's dad was on a naval vessel somewhere near Spain, the only family Akaya could go to was Sean.

Neela and Sean had graduated school months ago and lived together in a two-bedroom apartment near Han's garage. While Neela attended some college classes, Sean worked with Han all day. Akaya still had one more year of high school left. Sean had laughed when Twinkie, who also still had one more year of school (because he had flunked his senior year) had volunteered to be Akaya's guide. Reiko and Earl would be there too which made Sean feel better about it. Sean's cell phone started ringing and jolted him out of his thoughts. He quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Sean? It's Kaya." She said using her nick-name. "I'm at the luggage claim."

"Ok, we are on our way." He heard a click and on the other end and snapped his phone shut. As he and Neela rounded the corner he looked for a head of dark brown hair.

Neela also looked for the girl that matched the picture Sean had shown her. She spotted a girl with shoulder length brown hair that fell in thick waves. She had part of it pinned back but her long bangs framed her face hiding her eyes. The girl was about Neela's height and build but had more of an hour glass shape that was enhanced by her hip hugging jeans and tight dark green halter top. When the girl finally looked up Neela could see that she had bright green eyes and a very solemn expression.

"Kaya!" Sean shouted over the roar of people around him. She quickly turned and spotted Sean and the girl she knew was Neela. Sean hugged her impulsively. "Hey kiddo." He didn't really know what else to say to her.

"I already have my bags." Akaya spoke in a monotone voice as she lifted two black duffle bags. Sean took one from her and the three made their way out of the busy airport.

Once they had reached Sean's car Akaya let out what sounded like a small laugh. Sean turned to her wondering what could possibly be funny. He saw her just looking at his red Evo and shaking her head.

"What?" He asked.

"Still racing?"

"Yeah. Still riding along?"

"You know me, road fears and all." It was a known fact that Akaya had a genuine fear of being behind the wheel in a car. She froze on all of her drivers tests and simply opted to walk or ride a bike. But she loved riding along in a race. And she often got invited for ride alongs by her racing friends.

"Ever ridden along in a drifting race?" Neela asked once they were in the car.

"Drifting, no, but I've always wanted to. Sean told me about them. And I've seen movies. It seems pretty cool."

"You know, maybe Han can cure your road fears. I mean if he can teach me to drift, he can do anything." Sean threw the statement out hoping to keep the conversation going. He wanted to keep Akaya talking to keep her mind off her dad.

"I don't know if I'm staying." She looked out the window.

"What do you mean?" Neela asked.

"I'll be eighteen in two months, and out of school in five months. I don't want to put you guys out. I know I'm just mouth to feed and you guys have your own lives. You probably don't want me around. I'll just leave when I can."

"No." Sean spoke up. "You are family. I'm gonna take care of you whether you like it or not." Akaya turned her face forward and opened her mouth to speak but Sean beat her to it. "I don't wanna hear another word about you feelin like you shouldn't be here."

"I can tell you that arguing with Sean is like asking a brick wall for directions." Neela laughed. For the first time in over two weeks, Akaya smiled.

The car finally came to a stop outside of a narrow three-story building sandwiched between what looked like warehouses. Akaya could tell that the first story was one big garage and there was a set of concrete stairs leading to the second story on the side of the building. Sean parked the car in the garage and told Akaya that they had to shut and lock the garage and go up the outside stairs to get to the apartment. While Akaya was walking up the stairs she looked across the street and could see the ocean from between the buildings. Inside the apartment was a small closet, a living area, and a very small kitchen.

It was decorated in simple blues and browns that Akaya thought looked comfortable. Up the narrow stairs to the left were two bedrooms and a small bathroom. Akaya's room was bigger than she had expected compared to the rest of the apartment. She had a twin sized bed pushed against the far wall, a small closet to the right, and a dresser and desk with a chair across from the bed. There were two large boxes in her closet and two small ones on her bed.

"We didn't want to unpack your things. They came in yesterday but we didn't want to invade your privacy." Sean said from the doorway. Akaya had already sat on the bed and put her bags on the floor.

"Thanks." She said not looking up.

"I'll leave you to get settled. Later tonight I gotta go out. I have to race tonight. If you want to, your welcome to come along. But if you just wanna stay in…"

"No, I wanna go out." She finally made eye-contact.

"I'll let you know when." He slid her door shut.

Akaya immediately stood and began unpacking her duffle bags. They were both full of clothes and once she got all of them put away she started on the two small boxes on her bed. The first one held only her laptop. It was an XPS that she had modified herself. She smiled as she ran her hand over the sleek black cover. This was her baby. She gently set it in the middle of the dark mahogany desk. The second box was all of her electronics, mp3 player, computer discs, wires for this and that, and a few framed pictures. She put a picture of her and her mom when she was a newborn, a picture of her mom and dad's wedding day, and a picture of her and her dad at her last high school science fair (Akaya had won first prize for the computer she had built) on top of her dresser. Various other pictures of her and friends went on the wall above the dresser. She left the two big boxes in the closet. They contained books and mementos that she just didn't feel like going through. A knock at her door caused her to jump slightly.

"Open." She called. She had been sitting at the desk setting up her laptop. Sean opened the door.

"You ready?"

"Yeah." Akaya stood up.

"You better bring a jacket." She heard Neela call. Akaya reached for her jean jacket and threw it on. She looked down at her black and white sneakers and wondered slightly if she was dressed right. She could see Neela wearing a very short skirt with high leather boots and a black corset top and black leather jacket. Shrugging slightly she followed Sean and Neela to the car.

Once they got to the parking structure where the races where held it was clear to Akaya that she was wearing more clothes than every girl there. She could have kicked herself. She looked like a nun compared to everyone else. She climbed out of the car and was bombarded with loud music, the sound of screeching tires. Almost immediately, she felt at home.

Sean kissed Neela and said something about meeting the guy he was supposed to race and disappeared. Neela introduced Akaya to Alden, Reiko, Earl (Reiko's boyfriend), and Twinkie. Akaya liked Twinkie right away and the two walked off to look at cars. Twinkie seemed impressed at how much Akaya knew about engines.

"Where'd you learn all this?" He asked as they looked at an Evo a lot like Sean's.

"I have a few friends in San Fran that race. Drag mostly, but I know about drifting a little too. My friend Alex would love this place. He taught me most of what I know." They continued to walk around and chat when Akaya spotted a black car and rushed to it. "Wow, do you see that 350 Z!" She exclaimed to Twinkie. But when she turned around he wasn't there.

"You like what you see? She's mine." Akaya looked back around to see a very muscular Asian who looked in his twenties. He had short spiky hair that was longer in the front than the back.

Takashi had seen the white girl walking around with Twinkie. At first he glared because he knew Twinkie was best friends with the gaijin that had taken away Takashi's girlfriend and title of Drift King. But when the girl rushed to his car and bent over the engine, the glare turned to a smile. She had a very nice body. Twinkie had continued to walk not realizing he had lost the girl until he was lost in a crowd of dancers. Takashi took the opportunity to approach the nice looking girl. _"You like what you see? She's mine." _He had said. She jumped and whipped around to face him. Her face showed curiosity but she crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"Yeah… I mean, I bet she runs nice." She stammered.

"I've never seen you around here. I'm Takashi. You are?" He moved so he was only a few feet from her.

"Akaya."

"Such a beautiful name for a beautiful white dove." He smiled as she blushed. "Do you live here or are you visiting?"

"I have family here. My parents are dead… I just moved in with my cousin Sean."

"I'm so sorry." He moved a step closer, backing her against the car. "I know what that's like." Takashi could see Twinkie moving towards him quickly. "If there is anything I can do, maybe show you the city, please let me know." He passed a card into her hand. "My personal cell number. I always answer it." Then he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"Kaya!" Twinkie's voice caused her to snap her head around. He was running towards her with a glare on his face. She shoved the card in her front pocket where her cell phone was. "You shouldn't run off like that." He sounded more worried than angry and Akaya wondered if maybe she had just had a conversation with the wrong guy. "Come on, let's go. Sean just won his race."

He took her hand and led her through the crowds until they reached Sean and Neela. Neela was counting a wad of cash and handed part of it to an Asian guy that Akaya hadn't seen before. When he looked up at Akaya, she immediately crossed her arms. Sean had seen this and shook his head. He knew that when Akaya crossed her arms it meant she felt vulnerable or scared. She had always been shy and really only had a handful of friends that she let herself hang around. Big crowds and new people always scared her. It then dawned on him that he probably should not have drug her here.

When Akaya crossed her arms Han took it as a sign of shyness. He knew about her situation and sympathized with her but he couldn't help but notice how pretty she really was. Her skin was slightly tanned and she was athletic giving him the impression that she liked the outdoors. Sean told him that she liked cars and racing but for some reason was afraid to drive. He had never met anyone who actually feared driving. It intrigued him. Twinkie pulled Han and Sean aside while Neela chatted with Reiko and Akaya.

"I'm sorry man, I took my eyes off her for one second and she was gone." Twinkie said looking at Sean.

"So? She's a big girl." Sean shrugged.

"Yeah but when I found her again she was getting hit on by the devil himself."

"Huh?" Han and Sean said at the same time.

"Takashi." Twinkie took a step back.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Han grit his teeth. At that moment they heard a familiar voice yell.

"I can beat you any time! I could beat you now!" It was Earl. Han, Sean and Twinkie all turned to see who Earl was yelling at.

"Alright." Takashi calmly said. "But let's make this interesting." Takashi turned his head towards Neela, Akaya, and Reiko. "The winner gets to kiss any girl of his choosing." A roar of cheering went up from all around. Earl glanced at his girlfriend an then back at Takashi.

"What if the girl refuses to be kissed?" A female from the crowd yelled.

"Then the loser can kiss his car goodbye." Takashi looked at Earl. "What's the matter? Afraid you'll lose?"

"No." Earl exclaimed. "Let's race!"

Akaya didn't know what to think as she made her way to the elevators with Neela and the others. Takashi seemed okay but Earl sure hated him. Akaya liked Earl, he had been so nice when she had met him, but the way he glared at Takashi made her second guess everything. When they got to the top Akaya stood anxiously waiting to see either Earl's yellow car, or Takashi's black one. She could hear the tires squealing and knew they were getting closer. Takashi's car came into view drifting just two feet in front of Earl. Takashi had won.

Takashi slowly got out of his car. With a smirk he headed right for the crowd surrounding Neela. Sean pulled Neela behind him. Reiko ran over to Earl's car as he was getting out and hugged him while saying something in Japanese. Takashi had intentionally provoked Earl to get close to the new American girl, and on everyone else's nerves.

"Let's see, who should I kiss?" Takashi said loudly. He turned to Reiko. "Should I add insult to injury?" He swiveled around and faced Neela. "No… I can think of someone much prettier." Sean stepped forward but Neela pulled him back.

"No Sean!" She shouted. "It's okay. His kisses aren't anything I haven't suffered before." Akaya snapped her gaze toward Neela.

"What makes you think I want to kiss you?" Takashi shifted his gaze slightly. Han was the fist to realize who Takashi meant to kiss. His fears were confirmed when Takashi took his first step towards Akaya. Sean and Neela stepped in front of Akaya. "You want your friend to lose his car?" Takashi directed the question at Akaya who's arms were locked tightly around her chest. Akaya's eyes went wide. She stepped away from Sean but did not uncross her arms. Takashi stepped closer to her and slipped his hand to the back of her neck. "How could I choose anyone but the most beautiful dove in the room." Takashi said while using his other arm to gently pry Akaya's arms lose so he could close in. Just before he made his final move he glanced at the crowd behind her. Sean was red with anger. Neela and Twinkie both looked at the floor. Reiko was still holding Earl and trying to calm him down. Han however, looked like he was jealous. Takashi smiled at this and leaned forward.

Akaya had never felt anything like this before. Her heart was pounding but as soon as his lips touched her, her entire body went rigid. For a second his tongue found its way into her mouth. She had no idea what to do, but before she could think of a reaction, he broke off the kiss. "So soft," Takashi said while looking straight at Han. Then he simply turned and walked away.

Sean told Akaya to get in his car and stay there. Earl had gone over to Sean and was talking so fast no one could understand him. Neela got into the car with Akaya.

"So I take it you and Takashi have a past." Akaya mumbled. Neela spent the next several minutes telling her everything that had happened before Akaya arrived in Tokyo between her, Takashi, Han and Sean. Akaya didn't speak the entire time. She was too busy watching the way Sean and the other guys were talking to each other. Han seemed almost more pissed off than Sean. Akaya knew that no one blamed Earl for what had happened. How was he to know Akaya would be targeted. Finally Sean started to walk towards the car. Before Sean drove away Akaya looked out the rear window to see Han staring at her. His face was like stone. Was he mad at her for letting Takashi kiss her and embarrass him and his friends?

Back at the apartment Akaya fell into bed shoes and all. She hadn't realized how badly jetlagged she was. Her door slid open and Neela poked her head in.

"You better get some sleep little lady. Your first day of school is tomorrow. Your uniform is in you closet."

"Uniform?" Akaya groaned as Neela slid the door shut.


	2. Chapter 2

The First Day of the Rest of Your Love Life

The next morning Akaya found herself getting off of a train and nearly choking from all the different smells coming at her. Her asthma was acting up again and she was lucky she remembered her inhaler. Two puffs later she felt only a little better. Tokyo reminded her so much of San Fran that she almost forgot where she was. San Fran smelled of fish and smoke and had always given her breathing problems. It wasn't until she saw her school that she was jolted back into reality. Her father was dead and she was in a strange place… She quickly wiped away the single tear that found its way down her cheek.

School passed by in a blur. At lunch she found herself thinking of Takashi. Was he in school? What was he doing right now? Was he thinking about her and what a terrible kisser she was? She had programmed his number into her phone on the way home from the races. She pulled her phone out of her bag and started writing a text message to him.

Hey, this is Akaya. Remember from the races? I'm in school at lunch. Are you busy?

She pressed send and heard the bell ring signaling lunch was over. She only had three classes left until she could leave. Akaya shoved her phone in her bag and walked back to class. Once she got there she pulled out her laptop to take notes for her Physics class. When she turned it on, there was a message waiting for her. She silently thanked whoever it was that invented phone -to -computer -texting and made it possible for her to read and receive text messages from her phone on her laptop.

Takashi: I'm glad to hear from you. I thought maybe I had scared you off.

Kaya: I don't scare easily. Neela told me to stay away from you. Should I?

Takashi: Do you want to?

Kaya: No. I don't like following other people's opinions about people I just met. I like to form my own.

Takashi: Very wise of you. I have to ask you something.

Kaya: Go ahead.

Takashi: Was it your first kiss?

Kaya: Yes. Well, with tongue, yes.

Takashi: I thought it was. You seemed to not know how.

Kaya: I've always been too shy. Guys don't seem to be attracted to shyness where I'm from. But I just can't seem to break myself of it.

Takashi: You should be proud that you are still so pure. Not regret it. I am honored to have been able to kiss someone so… New.

Kaya: I really don't know what to say to that. I like you. I mean, I barely know you, but you don't seem as bad as everyone wants me to think you are.

Takashi: I'm very glad you can see past what other people try to make you believe.

Kaya: Does the offer to show me the city still stand?

Takashi: What are you doing after school?

Kaya: Hopefully taking a ride with a new friend…

Takashi: I'll be there when you get out. You should tell Sean that you are going out with some new friends so he doesn't worry.

Kaya: Should I mention your name?"

Takashi: What do you think?

Kaya: I think I should get back to Physics. See you in a few hours.

Takashi: I can't wait.

Akaya turned her attention to the black board at the front of the class and rolled her eyes. She hadn't missed a thing she didn't already know. What she didn't know was that Reiko, who had been sitting behind her, had read everything she had written.

True to his word Takashi and his black 350 Z were waiting right outside of the school for Akaya. She smiled as he opened the door for her. Akaya had just called Sean and told him she had met a new friend and they were going out, and she's be home before it got late. He bought the whole thing.

The car was small so when he got into the car his shoulder touched her. She suddenly felt nervous and giddy at the same time. No guy had ever paid attention to her like this before. He eyed her creamy legs as she buckled the safety strap between her thighs but she never noticed. Just as he revved the engine and started to drive away Akaya caught sight of Reiko running towards her. But in less than a second they were on the highway far from the school.

Akaya was in the middle of having a snack with Takashi when her phone rang. She saw Sean's name on the caller I.D. and rolled her eyes. Takashi had just spent a full two hours being a perfect gentleman. He didn't make a move on her or even hint that he would. He called her "Dove" and the only time he touched her was on the small of her back while leading her through crowds. Knowing Reiko had seen her leave with him had worried her for a while and now she was sure that Reiko had told Sean.

"Hello?" She said trying not to sound as angry as she felt. Sean was about to ruin her perfect afternoon.

"Hey kiddo. Are you having fun with your new friend?" He didn't sound upset at all. She was caught off guard.

"Uh, yeah, I'm having a great time. Uh, we just sat down to eat a little something."

"Do you have GPS in your laptop?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well I'm at Han's garage and I need you to come here 'cause you still don't have a key to the apartment. Can you type it in and get the directions?"

"No problem. We are on our way." She hung up. "You do know how to get to Han's garage don't you?" She said to Takashi.

"I think I remember the way."

Once they got in the car Akaya asked Takashi why he had chosen to kiss her.

"Like I said last night, I couldn't choose anyone but the most beautiful dove."

"So it had nothing to do with wanting to show up Sean?"

"Maybe just a little. I'll be honest. I don't like Sean. But I do like you. I wanted to kiss you before I even knew your name. I saw the way you looked at my car, the excitement on your face. The way you really appreciated the work that had gone into building it. It intrigued me. Getting close to you was what I really wanted, pissing Sean off was just a bonus."

"Wow, you are honest… I'm glad. I don't like mind games."

"Neither do I." He smiled at her and stopped the car. "Han's garage is just down that alley. You won't miss it. I'm afraid we have to part here. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Can we do this again sometime?"

"You just let me know when." Akaya wasn't sure if she should kiss or hug him goodbye but he didn't seem to expect anything so she just smiled and got out. She turned down the alley and heard loud music. She followed the sound until she came to a large garage with several cars, motorcycles, and car parts scattered everywhere. Han was the first one she saw. He was underneath a blue and orange Nissan Silvia that had been lifted about five feet off the ground. She walked quietly until she was right behind him.

"Hi Han." She whispered into his ear causing him to twitch and spin around.

"You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that." His eyes narrowed. Thinking he was mad at her she turned to move away. "Hey, relax, I was only joking." He said with a laugh. "You've got some kind of ninja skills though. Normally it's hard to sneak up on me." She smiled back at him. It was the first time he had seen her do so.

"What happened to this?" She said pointing at the numerous dents and ripped out parts of the car he was under.

"Sean happened, in his very first drift race against Takashi. Then in his second race he took the engine out of this one and put it in a mustang. So I'm putting it back together."

"Yeah, looks like Sean's handy work." She let out a small laugh. "Neela said you and Takashi used to ride together."

"Yeah, but we weren't exactly friends. He and I just had different styles. Different reason for drifting."

"I don't think he's as bad as everyone thinks. I mean, maybe he's just misunderstood. Besides, any man who drives his car with as much passion as him can't be all bad. The way he almost cradles the wheel, like he's holding someone's hand…"

"How do you know how he holds his steering wheel?" Han stepped out from under the car and moved closer to her. "Kaya, how do you know how he drives at all?" But Akaya was saved from answering when Sean's Evo swerved into the garage. Akaya glanced at the car and back at Han. He was staring at her intently.

"Don't worry about it okay." She mumbled as she turned away from him. She climbed up the stairs and plopped down on one of the couches. She could hear Sean and Han talking about the engine Han had just been working on as she pulled her homework out of her bag. She could hear more cars arriving and glanced down to see Earl and Twinkie both getting out of their cars. She sighed and went back to her work.

She had been typing away at her computer in the middle of a research paper when she happened to glance up. She jumped slightly when she saw someone sitting right across from her. She averted her eyes to the clock on her laptop and realized an hour had passed already. Without even looking back up she went back to typing.

"Now who's sneaking up on people." She smirked still looking at her screen.

"Everyone has gone to the races." Han said.

"Does he race every night?" She was almost done with her last paragraph.

"Pretty much. By the way, I didn't tell Sean you spent all afternoon with his mortal enemy." Her eyes met his for a split second.

"Mortal enemy? You sound like you're playing a video game."

"This isn't a game." She looked back up at him and sighed.

"Whatever." She quickly saved her file and shut down her laptop. Letting out another frustrating sigh she put her laptop in its case and gathered up the rest of her books. "Are you taking me to the races?" She avoided his eyes. "Or am I walking home?"

"I'm supposed to take you home. And this is your's." He handed her a small brass key. "It's the key to the apartment." She took the key and shoved it into her bag.

"Let's go." She said standing up. When they got into the car Han glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Can I ask you something?" He said while turning the key.

"Go ahead." She looked out the window.

"Why are you afraid of driving?"

"That's personal." She fiddled with the dragon pendant on her neck.

"Do you think you'll ever get behind the wheel of a car?"

"Nope." Her fiddling became more pronounced.

"Why not? People get over their fears all the time."

"I won't. Just too dangerous."

"Driving isn't that dangerous you know. Not if you know what you're doing." She gripped the pendant tightly between her index finger and thumb.

"I'll never drive again."

"Again?" Her hand went from the pendant to her eyes. He could tell she was crying but didn't want him to see.

"Can you just drop it please?" Her voice was slightly strained.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Later that night when Han got to the parking structure where the races were he found Sean counting a hand full of cash.

"Hey man!" Sean shouted over the roar of engines and music.

"Has Akaya ever driven before?" Sean seemed caught off guard by the point blank question.

"Not that I know of. I do know that she was involved in an accident once and I think that's what spawned her fear. But she was only fifteen then. Why?"

"I asked about her fear and she said, "I'll never drive again.'"

"Man I don't know. My mom and I moved around a lot and I only saw Kaya a few times after she turned thirteen. After that it was really only emails and phone calls." Han leaned against his car as he listened. What exactly was Akaya hiding? And what did Takashi want with her?


	3. Chapter 3

**You Might Call It Love**

For the next month Akaya fell into a routine. She went to school, rode with Twinkie or Reiko to the garage, did her homework while avoiding any conversation with Han (which did not go unnoticed by him), watched races, then went to bed only to get up the next day and do it all over again. She hardly spoke to anyone except for her friends from San Fran and Takashi online. The more she chatted with Takashi, the more she grew to like him. She knew she wasn't developing a crush, but she liked talking to him. She began to wonder if maybe he wanted more than friendship, and decided to bring the topic up when they had their next conversation. She got her chance when she was sitting in her Physics class staring at her laptop in a daze. A message box flashed and got her attention.

_Takashi- Hey, where were you all day yesterday? I tried calling but you wouldn't answer._

_Kaya- Sorry, Sean decided to borrow my phone charger and lost it. He just bought me a new one today._

_Takashi- Do you want to get together again? I miss you._

_Kaya- You just saw me night before last at the races._

_Takashi- True, but we didn't get to talk. Han was watching you like a hawk._

_Kaya- He is getting on my nerves. They all are._

_Takashi- What do you mean?_

_Kaya- I'm 17, about to be 18 in less than a month, but they insist on treating me like I'm still 12! I can't even tell them we are friends because they'll freak!_

_Takashi- They just worry about you._

_Kaya- No, they don't. Sean barely speaks to me. Neela has so much going on she wouldn't even know if I was in the same room, Twinkie and everyone else are nice, but not much for conversation, and Han... He acts like he owns me. Always asking who I'm with, where I'm at, what I'm doing... _

_Takashi- That's called worrying._

_Kaya- What does he care?_

_Takashi- Apparently more than you think._

_Kaya- Can we move to another subject._

_Takashi- Like?_

_Kaya- Hmm, how do I say this? Do you think of me as more than a friend?_

_Takashi- Yes, I think of you as a very good friend._

_Kaya- No, I mean, well, you know what I mean._

_Takashi-Yes I know. To answer you, I think of you as a very close friend. I trust you, I like being around you, and I value your friendship. But I do not harbor any romantic feelings towards you. I'm sorry if that is not the answer you wanted._

_Kaya- Actually, it was the one I was hoping for. It's how I feel about you._

_Takashi- I told you, I don't play mind games._

_Kaya- Well, why do you call me "Dove?" Don't get me wrong, I like it, but… you can imagine what I was thinking._

_Takashi- I thought the name just suited you. And since you like it, I'll keep using it. _

_Kaya- Well I guess that's reason enough._

_Takashi- Are you busy tonight? There aren't going to be any races and there is someone I want you to meet._

_Kaya- Who?_

_Takashi- Well, there is someone I have been dating. Her birthday is today and I'm throwing her a party at the boardwalk. Would you like to come?_

_Kaya- Yeah, pick me up from Han's garage. I go straight there from school everyday._

_Takashi- Will Sean be there? _

_Kaya- Why, scared?_

_Takashi- I just don't want you in trouble._

_Kaya- Don't worry about me. Everyone else does enough of that already._

After school Akaya rode in the back of Twinkie's van in complete silence. Her mind was racing. Takashi didn't like her as a girlfriend. That had relieved her, but Han... He just confused her. What was his problem? It was like he expected her to act like an adult even though he treated her like a child. And who the hell was he to act like he had any authority over anyone?

At Akaya's request Twinkie stopped by Sean's apartment and Akaya ran in and grabbed some clothes. When she found Sean at the garage he was talking to Jimmy Lin about an engine problem in one of the cars. Akaya knew Sean was distracted and took full advantage of it.

"Hey Sean, I'm going out with some friends to the boardwalk tonight." She nearly had to shout at him.

"Yeah, okay." He waved a hand at her. Triumphantly she turned and headed up the stairs. Once she sat down her smirk turned into a scowl when she saw who was up there with her.

"So who are these friends of yours?" Han asked with his arms crossed.

"Let the interrogation begin." She mumbled. Han's eyes narrowed and Akaya's smirk returned. "What do you care anyways?" Han's face suddenly changed. For a split second Akaya could swear she saw fear and jealousy, but it was gone before she could tell.

"Your Sean's cousin, I'm just looking out for you." He sounded defensive.

"Look away Han, look away." She set her school bag down on a table and headed to the bathroom to change clothes.

When Akaya looked at the mirror to review the results of fifteen minutes of work she blushed with excitement. Her hair, which usually was left down to cover her eyes, was pinned back in a messy ponytail with wavy tendrils going everywhere. She had traded her black Mary Jane shoes for black sandals that she knew she could easily take off if she wanted to walk on the beach. She wore a simple black halter dress with a silver triangle accent in the middle. Her dragon pendant stood out on her tanned skin and she had put on small dangly silver earrings, and her silver charm bracelet.

When Akaya left the bathroom she again came face to face with Han. He glared daggers at her but then his gaze widened to include her new wardrobe and his glare turned to shock. Slowly he looked her from head to toe and for some reason, his eyes stayed lowered. This of course aggravated Akaya and she quickly pushed past him, grabbed her purse, and started to make her way down the stairs. She was on the last step when she felt Han grab her arm and twist her around.

"And just _where _are you going dressed like _that_?"

"Out." She ripped her arm out of his grip and turned around.

"Out where?" He followed closely as she walked away from him. She stopped and faced him.

"Out of here." She smiled and waved at him before once again turning her back to him.

"You can't go anywhere like that!" By this time Han's yelling had attracted the attention of Sean, Jimmy, and Twinkie.

"Why not?" She threw up her arms as she faced him again.

"Because…" He sputtered. "Because you're too young. Because you look like… Because people will think… YOU LOOK LIKE A HOOKER!" Akaya didn't know what happened next. Suddenly her right hand stung with pain. She looked at Han. His cheek was bright red. Akaya had never slapped anyone before. It felt good.

"Then I should fit right in with every girl YOU bring here!" That felt good too. Before Han could say another word a blue car pulled into the garage and a very petite Asian girl in a blue mini dress with long straight hair got out. Everyone turned to face her as she walked straight to Akaya.

"Akaya! It's so good to see you!" Akaya had never seen this person before in her life. If she hadn't had her back to everyone else they would all see the look of utter loss and surprise on her face. "Are you all ready for the party?" Then it clicked in Akaya's head. Takashi had sent someone after her so she wouldn't get in trouble with Sean.

"Yes, I'm more than ready." Akaya spared one last glance at Sean who she could see wasn't mad but shaking with laughter with Twinkie and Jimmy. She smiled and waved at him and he just laughed harder.

Han watched her leave, sashaying her perfect hips as she went. Oh, how he wanted to… Wanted to what? Hold her down and shake her till she came to her senses? Or just hold her…? He quickly shook the thoughts away and walked over to his Nissan Silvia. He looked at the body of the car. She had a perfect body… "Stop it." He told himself. He pulled up the hood and looked at the engine. It was warm inside from the test run he had just done. "I bet she's warm beneath that cold heart-of-stone exterior she puts up." He slapped himself, only adding to the pain of the slap that was already there. Her slap had hurt his face but done nothing to his ego. It felt good to know that she cared what he thought of her. "No business dressing like that anyways." She had compared herself to his many flings. Was she jealous? Did she want to be like all those girls? That last thought suddenly struck fear in him. "Not her, not my Kaya…"

"Your Kaya?" Han whipped around at the sound of Sean's voice. "I freakin knew it." Sean, Twinkie, and Jimmy all stood there smirking at him. "You are falling for my baby cousin."

"What? No way Sean, I…" Han slumped and leaned against the car. "How can you tell?"

"I think the only ones who can't tell, are you and Kaya." Twinkie said.

"Yeah, dude…." Jimmy added. "_Everyone _knows."

"What can I do about it? She hates me…" Han spoke more to himself than the others.

"Well, I don't know man." Sean sounded sympathetic. "A good start would be getting off your ass and GOING AFTER HER!" He yelled the last three words causing Han to jump.

"I don't know where the party is." Han said defeated.

"Excuses, excuses…" Twinkie said shaking his head.

At the party Akaya was having the best time of her life. She missed going to boardwalk parties in San Fran. She soon found herself in the middle of a crowd all dancing to techno music. She could see Takashi and the girl in the blue dress, who she had learned was Takashi's girlfriend, Yuriko, dancing a few feet away from her. Akaya felt entranced by the music and started to lose herself in the rhythm. It took her several seconds to realize that someone was grinding up against her from behind.

The feeling of a hand on her thigh caused her to jolt back to reality. She swiveled around and saw a boy she recognized from school. He was a good looking guy with spiky hair. Feeling reckless, Akaya simply went back to dancing while facing him. She glanced around and could see that Takashi was watching her. The look he gave the guy she was dancing with said, "Hands above the waist." Apparently the guy got the message.

After a solid hour of dancing Akaya's feet were starting to kill her. She found Takashi and Yuriko sitting on a bench cuddling and told them she wanted to go for a walk on the beach. The sand felt cold but refreshing on her bare feet. She walked just close enough that the water rushing could touch her sore feet. The beach was dark but the moon gave her just enough light to see where she was going. She had her back to the party and the music sounded more and more distant the farther off she went.

The night air was cold and her sweat from dancing was making her shiver. Her chest started to feel tight and her breathing became labored. She plopped down onto her butt and dropped her sandals. Even if she tried to call for help, the party was so far away no one would hear her. With the last ounces of strength she had she clawed at the sand trying to crawl back to the party. It was then that she remembered that her inhaler was in her backpack, in Han's garage.


	4. Chapter 4

**Tell Her You Love Her You Idiot**

Sean watched Han sulk around the garage and come up with a dozen more excuses why he should not go after Akaya. When Han finally started throwing things Sean stepped in.

"You think I have no idea who she's with do you." Sean said so quietly Han almost didn't hear him.

"You know? How can you know and just let her go out with him!"

"Look, I might not be much of a parental figure or whatever, but I do know what it's like to feel alone. It does things to you. It makes you more cautious. If anything Kaya is a _very _cautious person. If she felt like she was in trouble she'd let me know. I also know she's smart enough to realize if she's in over her head. That's why I let her make her own decisions."

"What if she makes the wrong one?"

"Then it's her life. She's already lost too much. You want me to take away the one friend she enjoys spending time with?" Sean shook his head and started to walk away when his cell phone rang. He angrily flipped it open. "Yeah?" Han crossed his arms and glared at Sean's back. "Is she okay?" Han jumped slightly when he heard how strained Sean's voice was. "What hospital?" Sean swiveled around and faced Han. "I'm on my way… And… Thanks." He snapped the phone shut and shoved it in his pocket. "We gotta go." Han followed him wordlessly.

Han didn't ask Sean what was going on the whole ride to the hospital. Sean had spent half the trip on the phone with Neela so she wouldn't wonder why he was so late. Neela was on her way to the hospital now too. When they reached the lobby of the Emergency room Han nearly lost his cool. Sitting there with his face in his hands, next to the girl Han had seen Akaya leave with, was Takashi. Sean disappeared to find someone who could tell him about Akaya. Han pulled Takashi off the chair and shook him.

"What the hell did you do?" Han spoke harsh but quietly. Takashi didn't bother to try and pry Han's hands off his shirt front. The girl with him jumped up.

"He didn't hurt her!" Han went on as if she hadn't spoken.

"If anything happens to her…"

"She had an asthma attack." Takashi finally looked Han in the eyes. "She was lucky we went looking for her. It could have been worse."

"Maybe if she hadn't been in such a hurry to leave the garage, she would have remembered to bring her inhaler." The girl said it like an afterthought but Han knew she meant to say, _"If she wasn't in such a hurry to get away from you."_

"Yuriko, don't." Takashi kept his voice low. Han finally released him. He knew she was right. If he hadn't started that fight she wouldn't have been so eager to leave quickly. Sean appeared again and got the impression he had just missed all the good parts.

"She's awake. But the doc says she can only have one visitor at a time. If I go in first can you behave?" Han noticed Sean was talking straight to him. Han sat down on the other side of the lobby and let his head rest on the wall behind him. It wasn't until then that he realized how tired he really was.

Han felt a poke on his shoulder and his head jerked up. He looked around him and saw Takashi and Yuriko leaving the lobby. Sean was looking down at him grinning. Han cursed himself for dozing off.

"You wanna say anything to her before we head out?"

"Yeah." He stood and followed Sean to a small room with six beds crammed inside. Akaya was in the second bed and as Han entered the room her eyebrows shot up. He had expected the usual death glare, instead she was gaping like she was confused. She looked so small and pale even as he got closer to her bed. "Hey." He finally said.

"Hey," it came out hesitant.

"I guess I owe you an apology."

"No, I think the slap made up for what you said." The glare was slowly coming back.

"I mean for all the things I've been saying… And the way I've been acting. I've been a jerk."

"Oh I could come up with something way better than jerk." To Han's complete shock Akaya smiled. It wasn't a sneer or a sarcastic grin. It was a smile. It took Han few seconds to smile back.

"Can we maybe…" Han stammered. "Start over?"

"You asking to be my friend or something?"

"No."

"This isn't such a great start you know."

"No, I mean, I don't want _just_ friendship."

"Ohhh." Akaya looked away and Han wondered if he had moved too fast.

"If you don't feel that way…"

"That's the problem. I do feel that way. But I see how you go through girls and it pisses me off sometimes. I don't think you can just up and change. And I'm kind of a lot of baggage to carry around. If you can't tell, I'm an emotional wreck. How do I know that if I let you in… You won't get bored next week."

"I don't think you could ever bore me." He ran his fingers down her arm. "I don't feel one ounce for those other girls what I feel for you. I nearly killed Takashi in the lobby over you. I might still."

"I want to be with you… But I honestly don't know the first thing about relationships."

"Well that's great. Neither do I. We can figure it out together."

"Sounds like a good place to start."

"No," he said bending towards her. "This is a good place to start." He felt her shudder as his lips touched her.


End file.
